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Black Hollow (Novella)
Jessica Bannerly has never believed herself to be special by anyone’s standard, least of all her own. But all that is about to change... 'Because on the other side of a portal located inside an ancient well, a mysterious wizard sees someone very special indeed...' 'Quite by accident, Jessica stumbles across the portal and transports herself to a magical land where she becomes a dark enemy’s only hope of releasing an ancient curse. But he is not the only one, for more than one of her new friends harbours their own dark secret.' 'And there are whispers amongst the Unicorns that the Thracian Unicorn has returned...' Black Hollow is a young adult fantasy novella by MP Ashman published by Xlibris corporation. It can be purchased through the publisher's website , locally in Toowoomba at the PCYC Markets or you can purchase your signed copy here. Reviews of Black Hollow Mahala Sterrs says: "A great book, a pleasure to read and a true escape. Just loved it." Blue Ink ''Review: "In ''Black Hollow, ''MP Ashman has created a nail-biting plot using some of the best elements of fantasy." Read their full review here. ''Kirkus Indie Review: A girl falls down a well and into an alternate world in a fantasy novel that puts a new spin on the idea of tumbling down the rabbit hole. Jessica Bannerly doesn’t feel like a heroine when her story begins. However, when she realizes that the old well near her home can grant wishes, another world opens up to her. Jessica falls down the well and into a realm full of unicorns, werewolves, dark castles, vampire children, demonic rats and an evil wizard who wants to have dominion over all of it. An age-old curse has fortunately trapped this villain in a cave to protect the land from his tyrannical rule. That begins to change when he senses that Jessica’s arrival may hold the key to breaking the curse and allowing him to be free to terrorize the realm again. In order to stop him from regaining his nefarious powers, Jessica must team up with her friends, including a unicorn named Sapphire and the odd child Ambrosine, who is not what she seems. This story is dark and gruesome but delightfully atmospheric in its creepiness, though some might raise an eyebrow about the characters’ youth. Ashman has given his 86-page tale enough elements of fantasy and horror to fill a book three times as long, which suggests a weakness in its structure. Readers have too little time to get to know Jessica before she plunges into the fantastical world; after she arrives, the plot jumps around so rapidly that the action creates confusion about how much time has passed and how well Jessica knows her two best friends, the siblings Ciara and Ben. The book reveals little enough about its characters that it becomes hard to identify with any of them. Elements of the story are reminiscent of classics such as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and The Lord of the Rings, which reach heights that Jessica’s adventures don’t scale. Nonetheless, Ashman has an imaginative storytelling capability that shows potential for future books. A wonderland with a deliciously menacing atmosphere and underdeveloped young characters.